The end of the world as we don't know it

Somewhere in the space-time continuum exists an alternate history where Nixon is elected to a third term, Vietnam is an American triumph and superheroes (read: people who dress up and can fight well) are banned seeing as they often do more harm than good. This is the world of Alan Moore's much hailed epic graphic novel "Watchmen", called by many the "Citizen Kane" of the comic book world, and adapted by Zack Snyder ("300") into a two and a half hour science fiction mindslide.
I have searched my mind, and I do not think that I have seen a genre film of such peculiar impact and profundity since Deckard chased down Replicants in a futuristic Los Angeles. “If you can see what I’ve seen with my eyes”, indeed; wait until you meet Dr Manhattan in meditative mood.

For some reason, I feel that with a film this big in scope and theme (tragically, it is seen as a box-office disappointment), the less said the better. I will say that the film is structured according to character, and freely leaps between present, past and memory, thereby presenting a challenge to mainstream moviegoers to follow the events. Oh, and there's much to say about these characters, flung into a narrative of desctructino beyond their control: The Comedian; Silk Spectre; Nite Owl; and the pleasures of Rorschach and Dr Manhattan, who is an entitity of energy such as filmdom has not yet seen. The film proceeds to use these characters to examine American history, identity, moral responsibility and nothing less than nucelar holocaust (in a brave but smart move, Snyder replaces the graphic novel's ending with something far more authentic and terrifying).

I savour every frame of his film, this comic book come to life. Some scenes will, I know, haunt me for weeks, maybe months to come: Dr Manhattan on Mars; Silk Spectre I's encounter with The Comedian; Nite Owl and Silk Spectre II getting frisky on their transport craft; Ozymandias's explanation of his actions; Rorschach's final moments; many, many more.

The film boasts a cast that works, every single one. Allow me to point out Jackie Earle Hailey who would, in a perfect world, get an Oscar for his performance as Rorschach, and Patrick Wilson's all-too-human Nite Owl.

Emotional, intellectually multidimensional and politically subversive, "Watchmen" is a monumental motion picture. At the year's end, I will return to it.